SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- VISN 1 Standardized Lockout/Tagout Program
- Notice Date
- 2/9/2021 5:49:17 AM
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541690
— Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- 241-NETWORK CONTRACT OFFICE 01 (36C241) TOGUS ME 04330 USA
- ZIP Code
- 04330
- Solicitation Number
- 36C24121Q0235
- Response Due
- 2/17/2021 10:00:00 AM
- Archive Date
- 05/18/2021
- Point of Contact
- Joshua.Gallien@va.gov, Joshua Gallien, Phone: 413-584-4040 X6460
- E-Mail Address
-
Joshua.Gallien@va.gov
(Joshua.Gallien@va.gov)
- Awardee
- null
- Description
- Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Sources Sought Notice Obtain a qualified vendor to develop and implement several elements of a comprehensive and standardized Lock-Out/Tag-Out (LOTO) program This is a Sources Sought notice and not a request for quotes. This request is solely for the purpose of conducting market research to enhance VHA s understanding of your company s offered services and capabilities. The Government will not pay any costs for responses submitted in response to this Source Sought Notice. This Sources Sought notice provides an opportunity for respondents to submit their capability and availability to provide the service requirement described below. Vendors are being invited to submit information relative to their potential to fulfill this requirement, in the form of a capability response that addresses the specific requirement identified in this Sources Sought. Please ensure that your DUNS number is identified on your response. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is seeking to Obtain a qualified vendor to develop and implement several elements of a comprehensive and standardized Lock-Out/Tag-Out (LOTO) program for the VA VISN1 located in New England. The standard of services shall be of quality; meeting or exceeding those outlined in the general requirement section below. Refer to the General Requirements section below for the requested service description. This Sources Sought is to facilitate the Contracting Officer s review of the market base, for acquisition planning, size determination, and procurement strategy. Please be advised the General Requirements are subject to change. General Requirements: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) VISN 1 Lockout-Tagout Standardization General: The contracted firm shall provide all tools, supplies, materials, equipment, labor, supervision, transportation and project management to develop and implement several elements of a comprehensive and standardized Lock-Out/Tag-Out (LOTO) program for the VA New England Healthcare System (VISN 1) consisting of eleven VA Medical Center campuses. See attachment 1. Elements shall include: identify and inventory all equipment requiring a LOTO procedure; write LOTO procedures to comply with OSHA regulations; provide standardized lockout equipment; provide training to applicable supervisors and employees; and provide a sustainable program for future changes, upgrades, additions, and deletions of equipment. Background: All VA Medical Centers are required to comply with the same standards, directives, and regulations for LOTO, but program standardization within VHA or VISN 1 has never been required. Each Medical Center therefore developed their own individual LOTO program. These programs vary greatly in application and effectiveness which resulted in programmatic gaps and challenges for management and oversight. Objectives: Standardize a single LOTO program for all Medical Centers in the VA New England Healthcare System. Tasks: For each Medical Center and associated facilities listed in attachment 1, the contracted firm shall provide the following: Equipment Assessment and Inventory: Identify all equipment, machines, devices, and utilities which are required to be deenergized and locked-out or tagged-out in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.147, 29 CFR 1910.333 and 29 CFR 1926.417. At minimum Identification shall include information required by the referenced regulations and the following information if available: type, manufacturer, model number, series or modification, serial number, and installed location. List all equipment, machines, devices, and utilities identified in the paragraph above on an electronic inventory document which identifies each by location (building, floor, room), equipment type, make, model, serial number, energy source type(s) and magnitude(s), and stored energy source type and magnitude. Each facility shall provide the most current inventories of equipment requiring LOTO procedures and individual written procedures, where available, 10-days prior to the start of each respective Equipment Assessment and Inventory to assist in this effort. For the purposes of this project, facility LOTO inventories and procedures are not to be considered current, accurate, or compliant nor constitute endorsement of any format, style, structure, or standards. They shall be provided only for reference and to assist the contractor during the assessment. Due to the variation and uncertainty of each facility s LOTO equipment inventory, it is difficult to determine or estimate the number of individual pieces of equipment requiring written LOTO procedures and therefore the number of written procedures required. Lockout-Tagout Procedures: Write procedures to comply with 29 CFR 1910.147, 29 CFR 1910.333, 29 CFR 1926.417, NFPA 70E (most recent edition), and manufacturer s guidance (if available) for each individual item identified in paragraph 4.A above. All procedures shall be written in the same format, font, colors, style and layout using Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel. In addition to the minimum requirements for LOTO procedures, the vendor shall include the following: A picture and/or accurate diagram of the equipment annotating the positions of all the switches, valves, buttons, etc. which were referenced in the text of the procedure. List all the PPE an authorized employee is required to don as part of the test-before-touch step of the lockout procedure, 1910.147(c)(4)(ii)(D). Regarding equipment receiving steam, ensure the LOTO procedure includes the closure and lockout the first two upstream valves if reasonable. For example, if the second valve upstream is the pressure reducing valve (PRV) for an entire building then determine if removing steam pressure from the building is reasonable. This would most likely not be reasonable for a hospital building but may be acceptable in a small utility building without a critical need for steam. Include a lockout procedure to shutoff and lockout steam to each building. Include the two-upstream-valve requirement as required in paragraph 4.B.(3) c. One procedure may be written for several items if allowed by the referenced regulations and standard. Link each piece of equipment on the LOTO inventory with the associated LOTO procedure. Mount a durable copy of LOTO procedures in the vicinity of each respective piece of equipment. Durable shall mean that copies of mounted procedures shall be capable of withstanding the expected environment without being damaged beyond the point of use for five years. Lockout Devices: Provide 10 sets of standardized lockout devices to each Medical Center campus. Each set shall include one representative device for each of the different types of lockout devices required for each Medical Center. Each set shall include the necessary types of group lockout devices. The standard for VISN lockout deceives shall be a predominantly red device with black and/or white trim colors and black, white, and/or red lettering if needed. The colors selected for the trim and lettering should be a combination to provide the best contrast to make any writing easy to read. Devices made from metal may contain exposed metal provided a significant portion of the device is red and the metal is not be subjected to destructive corrosion. Provide 40 lockout padlocks to each Medical Center campus. Each padlock is to be predominantly red in color, compatible with the provided lockout devices, and be keyed differently. At least three (3) keys shall be provided with each padlock. Provide 100 standardized lockout tags to each Medical Center Campus. Lockout tags must be resistant to environmental elements which could damage them or render them illegible. The tags should be predominantly red or white and state Danger and Do Not Operate. The tags should have a section for the authorized person to write their name such that it won t smudge, fade or wipe off during its use. All lockout devices, padlocks, and lockout tags shall be readily and commercially available from various vendors for easy reordering. Tagout: Tagout procedures shall be prohibited unless there is no reasonable method to attach Lockout devices on specified pieces of equipment. In such cases, those pieces of equipment shall be highlighted on the inventory. If Tagout procedures are necessary, then the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.147 shall strictly apply. If Tagout procedures are necessary, the same requirements as listed in paragraphs 4.B and 4.C shall be applied to the maximum extent possible. In addition, provide fifty Tagout devices to each Medical Center with Tagout procedures. Tagout devices shall meet same uniformity standards as delineated in paragraph 4.C above. Training: Following the completion of the inventory and procedure writing for each Medical Center, provide training to appropriate supervisors and authorized employees at each Medical Center. The training shall meet the requirements of 1910.147(c)(7) and consist of: LOTO program requirements and procedures delineated in 29 CFR 1910.147, 29 CFR 1910.333, 29 CFR 1926.417, NFPA 70E (most recent edition). Electrical safety procedures and PPE as they pertain to LOTO operations. This shall include appropriate elements of 29 CFR 1910 Subpart I, 29 CFR 1910.339, and the references. Supervisory responsibilities with respect to LOTO program and operations. Employee responsibilities with respect to LOTO program and operations. Description and review of new LOTO procedures, devices, and inventory management. Provide a LOTO train-the-trainer session for supervisors and VISN1 staff during the same day and not to interfere with other training events. Training shall consist of no more than 50 employees at each Medical Center campus. Classroom space will be provided by the Medical Centers and classroom requirements shall be coordinated between the facility s primary coordinator, the COR and the contracted firm following the award of the contract. All training documents, hand-outs and devices shall be provided by the contracted firm. Training shall consist of one day at each campus. The training schedule shall be coordinated between the facility s primary coordinator, the COR and the contracted firm following the award of the contract. Deliverable Submissions: The contracted firm shall provide the samples, approved items, drafts and final copies listed in Attachment 3 within the timeframes specified. All deliverable documents shall be submitted to the VISN COR and respective facility coordinator in draft form for review, comment and editing prior to final approval. Proposed physical samples of each deliverable item shall be submitted to the VISN COR and respective facility coordinator for inspection, comment and final approval. The government shall have 10 business days after receipt to inspect and review each draft document and inspect physical sample. The facility coordinator and contractor s employees assigned to the project may communicate directly to request clarifications on the draft documents. Ensure the VISN COR is copied on all correspondences to the maximum practical extent. The VISN COR shall be contacted to address any unresolved issues between the facility coordinator and contractor s employees with any draft documents prior to approval. Communications between the contracted firm s employees and facility coordinators or VISN COR shall not be construed as a change in the terms of this contract. Only the assigned VA Contracting Officer can authorize changes. Program Management and Sustainability: Provide a LOTO management system which includes the following features at a minimum: Unlimited editing and updating by VA employees. Ability to correlate each piece of equipment on the LOTO equipment inventory with each respective procedure. Provides awareness to each respective supervisors and program manager of upcoming required procedure reviews and maintain records of completed reviews. Tracking, notifications and completion records for LOTO training and annual reviews of all authorized and affected employees. A program auditing capability. Unless otherwise approved by the COR or Contracting Officer, all draft and final documents shall be provided in a non-proprietary electronic format to the VISN 1 Capital Assets Manager, COR, and each respective Medical Center representative. Government employees shall have an unrestricted ability to edit documents in PDF format or one or more of the following Microsoft Office programs: Word, Excel or Power Point. Must be free to use annually without restrictions. There shall be no future fees for the use of the developed product(s). Regulations, Standards and References: All final documents, equipment and procedures developed or provided by the contracted firm shall meet the requirements of applicable sections of the following references: 29 CFR 1910.147 29 CFR 1910 Subpart I 29 CFR 1910.333 29 CFR 1910.335 29 CFR 1926.417 Relevant sections of 29 CFR 1910 related to the safe handling of hazardous machinery and equipment. NFPA 70 NFPA 70E NFPA 99 ANSI/ASSE Z244.1 ANSI/ASSE Z117.1 Respective manufacturers directions and instructions General Information Period of Performance: Project to be completed within nine (9) months of agreed upon start date. Hours of Operation: Contractor s access to the facility shall be coordinated through the Safety Manager, Chief of Facility Maintenance, or one of their designees. The contractor is responsible for conducting business between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:00 pm Monday thru Friday except Federal holidays or when the Government facility is closed due to local or national emergencies, administrative closings, or similar Government directed facility closings. Recognized Holidays: The contractor shall not have access to the facility on weekends or the following federal holidays: New Year s Day Labor Day Martin Luther King Jr. s Birthday Columbus Day President s Day Veteran s Day Memorial Day Thanksgiving Day Independence Day Christmas Day Place of Performance: The work to be performed under this contract shall be in engineering, boiler plant, utility, healthcare areas, administrative areas and meeting rooms located at the facilities listed in attachment 1. Security Requirements: The contracted firm s employees shall report to the Medical Center VA Police Department, provide appropriate identification and documents, and wear the issued badge while on site. They shall be accompanied by an authorized employee while in any VA facility to ensure safety, protection of sensitive data, and provide access into restricted and locked areas. Medical Centers will be responsible for providing the authorized employee with the appropriate access to the facilities and to coordinate the initial arrival of the firm s employees at the VA Police Department. Physical Security: The contractor shall be responsible for safeguarding all government equipment, information and property provided for contractor use. At the close of each work period, government facilities, equipment, and materials shall be secured. Information Security: At no time will the contracted firm or their employees have access to or connect any devices to the VA information network. Sensitive information shall not be recorded, obtained, or otherwise released by the contracted firm or their employees without express written consent of the Contracting Officer. Data Rights: The Government has unlimited rights to all documents/material produced under this contract. All documents and materials, to include the source codes of any software, produced under this contract shall be Government owned and are the property of the Government with all rights and privileges of ownership/copyright belonging exclusively to the Government. These documents and materials may not be used or sold by the contractor without written permission from the Contracting Officer. All materials supplied to the Government shall be the sole property of the Government and may not be used for any other purpose. This right does not abrogate any other Government rights. Special Qualifications: The contractor shall ensure all employees assigned to this project possess expert knowledge of 29 CFR 1910, 29 CFR 1910.333, 29 CFR 1926.417and NFPA 70E requirements regarding energy control safety. The contractor shall ensure all employees possess working knowledge of utility systems on large, multi-building campuses and healthcare-related machinery and equipment that may require LOTO. Special Precautions for COVID-19: Members of the contracted survey team shall be required to meet each facility s precautionary requirements prior to entering. Requirements may include, but are not limited to, COVID testing, quarantine, vaccination, daily screening questionnaires, and wearing of face coverings. As the COVID-19 emergency continues to evolve, requirements for accessing VA healthcare facilities are expected to change. While there is no reasonable method to predict any future changes to these requirements the contractor shall contact each facility prior to arrival to determine the current COVID protocols. If contracted employees are traveling from another State, it is strongly advised to verify the State s travel requirements regarding COVID precautions such as testing and quarantine. Other Costs: The Proposed Price of this project is to be fully inclusive. Upon award of the contract, change orders and additional costs may only be committed and approved by a VA Contracting Officer. Statements made by any other VA employee shall not be considered change orders or commitments to additional costs by the VA. Quality Control: Establish a quality control plan specifying standard for both performance and quality. The quality control plan shall be provided to the CO and COR. The CO and COR will conduct surveillance of the contractor s performance to ensure products delivered achieve the standard or mitigation plans are put into place early to avoid corrective measures later in the contract period. VISN 1 LOTO Standardization Attachment 1 Order of completion priority: Completion Priority VHA Facility Number of Buildings Gross Indoor Area (ft2) 1 West Haven, CT 39 1,188,942 2 Newington, CT 25 470,438 3 Bedford, MA 61 1,142,932 4 Togus, Maine 64 780,784 5 Central Western Mass 44 587,115 6 White River Junction, VT 38 528,281 7 Boston, Brockton 33 957,272 8 Boston, West Roxbury 17 580,565 9 Boston, Jamaica Plain 14 963,132 10 Manchester, NH 14 311,130 11 Providence, RI 35 540,998 TOTAL 384 8,051,589 VISN 1 LOTO Standardization Attachment 2 Medical Center campuses and associated addresses: VA Boston Healthcare System Brockton Campus 940 Belmont Street Brockton MA 02401 VA Boston Healthcare System Jamaica Plain Campus 150 South Huntington Ave Boston MA 02130 VA Boston Healthcare System West Roxbury Campus 1400 VFK Parkway West Roxbury MA 02132 Bedford VA Medical Center 200 Springs Road Bedford MA 01730 VA Connecticut Healthcare System West Haven Campus 950 Campbell Ave West Haven CT 06516 VA Connecticut Healthcare System Newington Campus 555 Willard Ave Newington CT 06111 Providence VA Medical Center 830 Chalkstone Ave Providence RI 02908 VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System 421 North Main Street Northampton MA 01053 Manchester VA Medical Center 718 Smyth Road Manchester NH 03104 White River Junction VA Medical Center 215 North Main St White River Junction VT 05009 VA Maine Healthcare System 1 VA Center Augusta, ME 04330 VISN 1 LOTO Standardization Attachment 2
- Web Link
-
SAM.gov Permalink
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- Place of Performance
- Address: See Sources Sought Notice for Details
- Record
- SN05912625-F 20210211/210209230112 (samdaily.us)
- Source
-
SAM.gov Link to This Notice
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